Macau's Gaming watchdog no comment on rumored closure of the Jockey Club

In a reply to the Chinese channel of TDM Radio, the gaming watchdog only emphasized that the SAR government had approved the extension of the horse racing franchise contract in 2018 to August 31, 2042, and that it “will continue to carry out various regulatory work in accordance with relevant gaming laws and regulations and the terms of the concession contract for horse racing”.

The MJC has reportedly failed to honour most of the pledges it made when it secured an extension of 24 years to its concession licence in 2018.

The horse racing operator pledged then to invest MOP1.5 billion (US$190 million) in stages to upgrade existing facilities and develop non-gaming offerings.

These would include to build new commercial areas and restaurants, two hotel blocks and two apart-hotel blocks, a theme park and a tennis court and an equestrian school, with some of these works supposed to be finished by 2024 and others until 2026.
 
Under the new contract, the MJC also has until 2042 to bring its operations back to over 1,200 races a year.

Meanwhile, TDM Canal Macau cited various sources that confirmed that the race track has been prohibited from accepting bets from abroad – from regions such as Australia, Singapore, Malaysia, and Hong Kong.

If the company led by former gaming magnate Stanley Ho’s wife Angela Leong, fails to abide by the contract, it could see its monopoly cancelled and even have its land revert back to the government.

In addition, the Macau Jockey Club has recently had the import of horses from Australia cancelled by the local authorities, with some 30 horses awaiting embark in the country – possibly as a consequence of not abiding by the concession contract.

According to a report by the Asian Racing Report quoting local trainers last week, racing has been trimmed to one meeting per week only, with the population of horses in the territory now as low as 220.

Chinese newspaper Macao News Daily has also reported MJC company officials said to have been informed that the next racing season would start on September 29, but would end on December 31.

In replies to TDM Radio and Macao Daily News, the MJC refused to ” comment on rumours”.

By Nelson Moura